C2C Shunter Driver Position

[GooseWaffe]

I do work at c2c.
Some people only did between 6 months and 2 years before going driving.
Others are 5+ years.
At the moment it is based on seniority where the shunters at the top of the list have an interview and are asked a few rules / knowledge based questions by driver managers.

If they fail this stage it moves to the next person in the seniority list.
Currently there is an agreement that however many street to seat drivers are taken on then the same amount of shunters will progress to a mainline course provided they pass the interview stage.

It’s difficult to give an exact timeline to go driving as there are so many variables.
At East Ham 8 shunters have been selected for the next driver course, this will leave roughly 8/9 shunters eligible for the next course.
At Shoeburyness there must be 15-20 shunters (not sure of exact numbers).
Then there are another 8 shunters in training plus if any on your course pass out before you there are potentially 30-40 who would be in front of you who are eligible to go driving.

Some might not want to go driving, fail the interview, have incidents or poor sickness records which would stop them going driving for any upcoming courses and could bump you up the list.

Past few years have been 1-2 shunters to drivers courses per year and classes of 8 but lines are being filled in the roster so there is no guarantee that there will be as many course or they will be as large.

If it carries on as it has been you could be on a course in 2 - 3 years.
Especially if drivers retire, or leave and more lines need to be filled.
However if all the lines are filled and courses slow down you could be looking at 6+ years in the depot.

Probably not the answer you were looking or hoping for but I wouldn’t let it put you off joining as a shunter as it is a good job and you will gain knowledge that will aid you when you do go forward to a driver course.

Again things can change but currently shunters go into the part time driver roster for 2 years then are eligible to go full time provided there are vacant full time lines.
But there are some part time drivers don’t want to go full time, if the part time becomes full then potentially the shunters could be able to go straight into full time roster.

But once you have been driving for 2 years it gives you the opportunity to move to another TOC if any qualified driver vacancies are advertised as most want minimum 2 years experience.

Couldn’t have put it any better

 

[JamesP23]

Thank you very much for such a detailed reply.

It does seem like it’s a risk worth taking - it’s a foot in the door and experience gained. Waiting to get on a street to seat might take years anyway if at all

They said it can be short shifts and start times all over the place. Is it the case that one day you can start 5am, next day 2pm, then 3am ect

Or more of a week of early shifts, then week of lates ect

Thank you again

 

[jimfrst]

It’s a week of early.
Week of lates / nights
Normally rostered the same job / start time Mon-Fri unless in a spare shift where the start time can be moved 2 hrs earlier or later to help cover days off, sickness or vacant lines.
Shunters also do night shifts.
Shift length varies between 6-8:00 hrs.

Weekday East Ham start times are:
AM 4:15, 5:20, 5:25, 10:40 & 11:15.
PM 12:45, 13:00, 13:45 & 15:15.
Nights 21:40, 22:40 & 23:55.

Weekday Shoeburyness start times are: AM 5:15, 5:40, 6:15, & 9:40.
PM 13:30, 13:40, 18:00, 18:15 & 18:30.
Nights 23:00, 23:15 & 23:59.

 

[JamesP23]

Thank you very much!

At least it’s a week of similar start time shifts each week!

The recruitment team told me it’s an average of 35 hours over 4 days? Is that true or have the confused full time mainline drivers with full time shunters?

Thanks mate appreciate it


Also can I just double check something you said earlier in the thread - current group of shunters at East Ham had to wait 5 years to get on to shunt to mainline training? So if the recruitment team are telling me 2 years, it’s fibs or they are mistaken? That’s just really concerning as would only be doing this as a route to mainline

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Oct 2025 ==

It may have been on a different post apologies regarding the current group at East Ham having to wait 5 years

 

[jimfrst]

I think they have got the mainline and shunter roster confused with the average 35 hour week over 4 days.
It has been talked about looking at the shunter roster but as of yet no firm plans to change it.

As I previously posted you can’t say 100% how long you will have to wait.
Maybe they have given an average wait time over the past 10 years / courses.

If they run 2-3 courses per year you will go up quicker if they slow the training down will take longer.
There is no guarantee time limit to go driving.
Whatever time limit they have you would just be an estimate.

 

[Mystiq7]

Does anyone know what is the salary level for a Trainee Shunter and also the salary level once you qualify?

 

[jimfrst]

I

Does anyone know what is the salary level for a Trainee Shunter and also the salary level once you qualify?

believe it’s £40,500 once qualified and £30,000 while training.

 

[Mystiq7]

I

believe it’s £40,500 once qualified and £30,000 while training.

Thanks

 

[jimfrst]

Does anyone know what is the salary level for a Trainee Shunter and also the salary level once you qualify?

Sorry I got the salary wrong once passed out it is £41,914, still £30,000 while training.

 

[Mystiq7]

Sorry I got the salary wrong once passed out it is £41,914, still £30,000 while training.

That's not bad - close to £42k. I'm sure once you add in overtime, rest day working and additional Sunday working, you can increase the yearly salary closer to the £50k-£55k bracket.

 

[GooseWaffe]

That's not bad - close to £42k. I'm sure once you add in overtime, rest day working and additional Sunday working, you can increase the yearly salary closer to the £50k-£55k bracket.

Yeah

 

[357]

additional Sunday working

Sunday is part of the working week

 

[SirRancisJrake]

does anyone know what shunter training consists of? and how long the training would last for before you start at the depot? thanks in advance.

 

[jimfrst]

It’s been a while but if I remember correctly if all goes to plan it’s roughly 5-6 months before you are working on your own in the depot.

Classroom based training first, that will cover PTS, Rules & Traction.
Assessments at the each week or after each section is completed.

Then you will do practical training driving the train, coupling & uncoupling, fault finding & preparing the train for service.

You will then go to your depot to learn the layout of it, there you will get more practice driving & preparing the trains.
You will also learn how to let the trains out onto the mainline into service or accept them into the depot.

After this there is a final assessment normally 5 days covering everything you have learned throughout training.

 

[357]

It’s been a while but if I remember correctly if all goes to plan it’s roughly 5-6 months before you are working on your own in the depot.

Classroom based training first, that will cover PTS, Rules & Traction.
Assessments at the each week or after each section is completed.

Then you will do practical training driving the train, coupling & uncoupling, fault finding & preparing the train for service.

You will then go to your depot to learn the layout of it, there you will get more practice driving & preparing the trains.
You will also learn how to let the trains out onto the mainline into service or accept them into the depot.

After this there is a final assessment normally 5 days covering everything you have learned throughout training.

I started some time after you, so things may have changed slightly (and again in the years since I was a shunter!)

We had 4 weeks on rules, 4 weeks on traction and minimum 4 weeks combined on east & west fringe boxes and shunting at the actual depot we would be working at.

The first 8 weeks had a weekly assessment and then a 4 weekly larger assessment.

I recall once we were in the depot we had some sort of workbook to complete that all 8 of the people in my group somehow managed to fail on - we all then had to take a walk around the depot with the trainer where it transpired that the books had been marked incorrectly.

The waiting game was then management availability to do the 5 day assessment on people who were ready to pass out and doing re-tests on those who had failed.

According to my records I started mid December and was productive by late March.